tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77399825929111557802024-02-08T06:20:55.466-05:00Writing Under the Influence of SugarA blog with book reviews that determine whether they're worthy of the limited space on your shelves. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-25284355713515329962014-09-08T14:43:00.001-04:002014-09-08T14:43:55.210-04:00The Syrena Legacy Series Book #1: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7K1kQz1bij4/VA34rWaZfoI/AAAAAAAAAoU/Jb3Yx4sf8Uo/s1600/OfPoseidon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7K1kQz1bij4/VA34rWaZfoI/AAAAAAAAAoU/Jb3Yx4sf8Uo/s1600/OfPoseidon.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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First it was vampires, then it was werewolves, then it was
zombies, and then it was witches. Now it’s mermaids – I’m sorry Syrena – turn
in the paranormal book world. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Of Poseidon</i>
was one of those books that I found randomly at the bookstore one day, read the
summary and added it instantly to my reading list. None of the libraries around
me had the book, the digital library didn’t have it, and I wasn’t really in the
mood to shell out big bucks for a book that I wasn’t too sure about. However,
the iBook store held a sale last year and I picked it up. I read it last
December, but because I didn’t remember what happened – I’ve read a lot of
books since then – I decided to reread it now that the whole series is out.
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<br /></div>
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Emma McIntosh feels like her life is just one embarrassing
moment after another and when the book begins she’s experiencing one of those
moments when she literally runs into the most handsome guy on the planet. He
kind of unnerves her because of his gorgeousness and because he has purple eyes
just like hers. It doesn’t help either that her best friend Chloe keeps
insinuating things that make her red all over. They go their separate ways and
Emma and Chloe go into the water where Emma starts berating her friend for her
comments. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Galen – the guy Emma runs into – watches her and starts to
wonder if she is like him and his sister. He can’t wonder long as a shark
attacks Chloe and Emma goes down with her. Barely five chapters in and you’ve
got a mystery of what Galen is and the death of a character. As the book
unfolds, Emma discovers that she isn’t one hundred percent human that Galen
isn’t human either and that she might be falling for him too. Just like he’s
falling for her even though he’s there to bring her back for his brother. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I liked this book, really I did. Emma’s temper and her
exclamations of ‘ohmysweetgoodness’ were quite entertaining. Her relationship
with her mother was definitely anger worthy – again what is it with YA books
and parents being totally irritating? And the tension between Galen and Emma
was just aggravating for 280 pages. The only thing I didn’t like about this
book was the Galen’s POV chapters. For some reason, the tensing in his chapters
was very weird and threw me off. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Good story, good intrigue
and good tension. Just wished that the tensing had been consistent. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Bookshelf worthy? Electronic or support your local library!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-7979973729977944612014-09-06T15:36:00.001-04:002014-09-06T15:36:57.719-04:00The Night Huntress Series Book #2: One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9LhISLDR1RA/VAtiF47GRTI/AAAAAAAAAoE/V2vNMZGZ920/s1600/OneFootintheGrave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9LhISLDR1RA/VAtiF47GRTI/AAAAAAAAAoE/V2vNMZGZ920/s1600/OneFootintheGrave.jpg" height="320" width="186" /></a></div>
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When we last left Cat Crawfield, she was running away from
her vampire lover Bones so that she could work for a secret organization that
takes out vampires within the FBI. When <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One
Foot in the Grave</i> starts, it’s been four years since that day and Cat has
become the top agent within this organization. The case she is working on that
night has some old ties to her former life. Ian, the vampire she’s sent to destroy,
turns out to be Bones maker. She lets him go as an old debt to him and goes on
her merry way.
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<br /></div>
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The problem is she intrigues Ian and he doesn’t like things
he can’t have so he is starting to hunt her down so that way he can add her to
his collection. Not to mention the other vampires who have contracted hits on
her life for her former profession as the Red Reaper and she’s gotten herself
into a sticky situation. That’s why when Bones shows up at her friend Denise’s
wedding, she has a full on panic attack. He’s been hunting her down for years.
He’s angry with her for leaving him, but he still wants her. What’s a girl to
do?</div>
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<br /></div>
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At the end of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Halfway
to the Grave</i> I was angry with Frost. I think in my review for that book I
stated that why did author feel the need to split up the main couple of a
series at the end of the first book or during the second? So when I started
this book I was a little skeptical as to how this was going to go. I wasn’t
expecting Frost to jump four years, but I’m kind of glad she did. The time jump
allowed for Cat to already be ingrained in her new life and when Bones finally
showed up it also allowed for the much loved sexual tension that I adored in
the last book. On top of the sexual tension there was also the intrigue that
one of the vampires in Ian’s line is Cat’s father, who also turns out to be Don’s
– the head of Cat’s team – brother. Family reunion much?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Final Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. I didn’t think it was
possible for me to love a second book more than the first in a series, but this
book proved me wrong. The relationship between Bones and Cat still makes me
swoon, add in characters like Tate and Annette and I’m just in adoration. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-20713621668291177722014-09-06T15:30:00.001-04:002014-09-06T15:30:52.136-04:00Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B0R_EKhk710/VAtgpoLi72I/AAAAAAAAAn8/5b1R48Ix4Yc/s1600/MidnightinAustenland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B0R_EKhk710/VAtgpoLi72I/AAAAAAAAAn8/5b1R48Ix4Yc/s1600/MidnightinAustenland.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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So things have gotten strange since we last left Pembrook
Hall. The two other estates that Austenland have occupied have either been sold
or rented, Mr. Wattlesbrook has become an even worse drunkard, and it seems that
Austenland is on its last legs. At least that what Charlotte, Austenland’s new
resident, has come to observe in her first few days on the property.
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<br /></div>
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Like the narrator in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Austenland</i>,
Charlotte has been unlucky in love, but not as unlucky as Jane was. Charlotte
was married to a man named James and had two kids with him. But Charlotte was
more successful and made more money than he did, and he decided to cheat on
her. Now divorced and sharing custody of the kids, Charlotte has decided to
pick up a different hobby other than spying on her daughter’s boyfriend. She
finds a list of goals that she made when she was a teenager, and one of them
was to read Jane Austen. One weekend while the kids are with their father she
picks them up and falls instantly in love. Finding the need to go on vacation,
she talks to her travel agent and she recommends Austenland. </div>
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<br /></div>
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When she gets there it’s just like an Austen novel, but this
time there’s a hint of mystery and romance when Mr. Mallery catches her eye. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The only redeeming qualities this book had were the fact
that it was short, some parts were funny, and the air of romance was quite
enchanting. Otherwise, this book kind of falls flat like its predecessor and
even the added mystery of what’s going on with Pembrook Hall doesn’t really
save it. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Charlotte needed to grow a
backbone, and even when she does it’s because she’s fallen in love. I liked
that Miss Charming made another appearance and the character of Eddie was
fantastic. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-74783641385186501072014-09-03T12:50:00.001-04:002014-09-03T12:50:47.321-04:00The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yCeICcJobUg/VAdGqRgPhyI/AAAAAAAAAns/jCB6KPbs4cc/s1600/TheOtherBoleynGirl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yCeICcJobUg/VAdGqRgPhyI/AAAAAAAAAns/jCB6KPbs4cc/s1600/TheOtherBoleynGirl.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Constant
Princess</i>, we were introduced to the character of Princess Catalina of Spain
who through many tribulations finally became Katherine Queen of England. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Other Boleyn Girl</i>, we are introduced
to two girls – actually three – who ruin everything for not only Katherine, but
for the way the world worked as well.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mary Boleyn is thirteen and married when the book begins
with the beheading of someone that the king was close to. Mary is befuddled
that the king didn’t stop the beheading, thinking that he would have offered
clemency. She asks her mother this, and her mother tells her that that is not
how it works in the court and if she continues to think that way then she is a
fool. A year later, and Mary’s sister – Anne - has come back to the English
court from France. By this time Mary is fourteen and has caught the wandering
eye of the king. He flirts openly with her and the family begins to plot. Mary
is commanded to woo the king and become his mistress, by this point Katherine
is becoming infertile and the king is losing his patience with her. He must
have a son to take over his throne. </div>
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<br /></div>
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After getting a girl on her, Mary does produce a son, but by
this point it is already too late. While Mary was in confinement, her family
commanded Anne to detour the king’s affection, so that way his thoughts were
always on Mary. But when she comes out of confinement, she can tell with just
one look that the king is besotted with Anne and another plot by the family is
formed. This time it goes for all the marbles. </div>
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<br /></div>
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This is the third time I’ve read this book and I’m always
astounded by how for such a smart woman Anne surely acts stupid and reckless.
Personally, I’m astounded by all of the women characters in this book. The king
is not a faithful person, so why do you keep demanding it of him? And why do
you act surprised when he strays? My only explanation that I can think of is
that they wanted to believe that they could be the one to hold him. It didn’t
really work out, did it? </div>
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<br /></div>
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Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I really don’t understand
how Henry and Anne couldn’t have worked out. They were perfect for each other!
They were both vain and wanted the whole world to revolve around them. I felt
bad for Mary who had to watch the death of her own sister, thinking – like at
the beginning of the book – that the king would offer clemency at the last
minute. Hadn’t she learned her lesson?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Bookshelf worthy? Considering how many times I’ve read this
book, yes!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-266642424675112242014-08-31T20:23:00.000-04:002014-08-31T20:23:15.126-04:00Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TV2fYCgvYqQ/VAO8NkvtCcI/AAAAAAAAAnE/Ppd-iWKDRnQ/s1600/MemoirsofaGeisha.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TV2fYCgvYqQ/VAO8NkvtCcI/AAAAAAAAAnE/Ppd-iWKDRnQ/s1600/MemoirsofaGeisha.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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So back in 2005, I read this book because of the movie. I
remember back then that I absolutely loved this book because not only did it
show a side of Japanese culture, but it was also a well-told love story. I
really want to know what the fourteen-year-old me was thinking, because this
time around I literally want to claw my eyes out as I was reading this book.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This book tells the story of Chiyo – Sayuri as she is called
later in the book – as she struggles through her life and tries to become a
geisha. At a young age she is sold to an okiya by her father and separated from
her sister. Thrown into this new world, she is shocked to find that one of the
mistresses of the house – Hatsumomo – hates her because she thinks that one day
she will be her largest rival. In fact, this geisha does everything in her
power to make sure that Chiyo never becomes a geisha. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Much to her dismay, Chiyo does in fact become a geisha, a
very successful one at that, and kicks Hatsumomo out of the house for
everything that she has done. But the reason that Chiyo becomes a geisha is
because of a man named the Chairman who she runs into one day when she was down
on her luck and set in being a maid for the rest of her life. He shows her a
bit of kindness, and as it turns out gets her help from one of the most
successful geisha of all time. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a beautiful story, really, but the details and side
stories are just overdone. Seriously a chapter that could have ended in five
pages went on for fifteen because of either descriptions of unnecessary items
or a side story that was just filler. Also Chiyo is quite gullible. At the
beginning when she tries to run away and Hatsumomo tries to help her escape she
forgets the one lesson that Auntie taught her. Hatsumomo would never help her,
ever. Little Miss Stupid indeed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. The story is good, but there
was just too much detail that wasn’t really needed. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Anyone want my copy? </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-61671917847474016622014-08-31T20:16:00.003-04:002014-08-31T20:21:28.117-04:00The Luxen Series Book #5: Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout<style>
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<span id="goog_1292385486"></span><span id="goog_1292385487"></span><br /></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MjT6zY2b6Z4/VAO6gMXIHEI/AAAAAAAAAm4/SG3vOUsyAJ0/s1600/Opposition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MjT6zY2b6Z4/VAO6gMXIHEI/AAAAAAAAAm4/SG3vOUsyAJ0/s1600/Opposition.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>The world is going to hell. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">War of the Worlds</i>? Forget about it. The Luxen have landed and they
don’t want to leave anytime soon and they’re destroying everything in their
wake. Kat, Archer, Beth, and Luc are tucked away in the cabin not sure what to
do. Dee, Dawson, and Daemon are gone, they left when the Luxen landed. Not sure
what they’re next move should be Katy is blown away when she learns that Beth
is pregnant and Archer and her go out to get supplies. This is where they run
into a group of Luxen destroying things and assimilating human bodies. Archer
and Katy are about to escape and get the hell out of dodge when she feels
Daemon, but instead she runs into Dawson.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next thing she knows she’s waking up in a mansion
surrounded by Luxen who are less than friendly, even her best friend Dee is
against her. Turns out that the Luxen are all connected by their thoughts and
when the new guys showed up, the leader infiltrated all their thoughts and brainwashed
them into thinking that humans were evil and deserved to be subjugated. So what
does that mean for Dawson and Daemon? It doesn’t look good when Katy finally
sees him again, he treats her like she’s nothing but human trash and their love
was nothing. Like Katy, I think my heart broke for a second when he treated her
like that, but I knew that the brainwash hadn’t taken him over, he was just
acting that way. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the rest of the book plays out, Katy, Daemon, and Dawson
get away and meet up with Archer and Luc at an army base. The army’s grand plan
to get rid of these Luxen – who are also revealed to be working with the
Origins – is to drop giant EMP bombs over cities they are believed to be lost.
Katy and company realize that this isn’t the best plan. By doing this, the army
is making refuges of humans and setting civilization back. So they come up with
a plan, a really insane plan, to get the Arum to help them out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As usual, Armentrout combines sci-fi with a touch of romance
and drama. The Daemon/Katy moments were just… fluff overload and I just wanted
to curl into a ball and bawl my eyes out at how cute they were together. The ending,
like most endings, nearly killed me <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">twice</i>.
Not only do you have that character’s death – hey I’m all about being spoiler
free sometimes – but you also have the attempted killing of that character too.
My heart rate jumped a few times in the last fifty pages or so. I loved the
ending, especially with Katy’s ‘room of precious babies.’ She’s a true book
nerd ‘til the end. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Beautiful ending. Everything
was tied together beautifully and <a href="http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/a-special-thank-you/" target="_blank">this little side story</a> that Armentrout wrote
was just as aw worthy as a bunch of kittens. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? What’s up with the new covers? My eBooks
look odd with this cover and then the original four. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-32819931403763699642014-08-25T15:56:00.000-04:002014-08-25T15:56:16.704-04:00Hush, Hush Saga Book #4: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tYQjeJ5O60Y/U_uUpIqGsPI/AAAAAAAAAmo/4JgkhiBiGcg/s1600/Finale.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tYQjeJ5O60Y/U_uUpIqGsPI/AAAAAAAAAmo/4JgkhiBiGcg/s1600/Finale.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After everything Nora has been through, she has one last
task to complete before she can fly off into the sunset and be happy with
Patch. She has to lead the Black Hand’s Nephilim army to war against the fallen
angels. If she doesn’t, she and her mother will die. But, if she does, the
archangels won’t be so pleased with her and Patch. What happened to normal
seventeen-year-old problems?
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At least she isn’t alone. She’s got Patch, she’s got Scott,
she’s got the Black Hand’s right man Dante and shockingly she even has Marcie.
Yeah, that’s right, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marcie</i> is on
Nora’s side, or at least, she’s helping Nora so she can find out who killed her
father. Okay. Dante is an interesting character. He’s kind of a hard ass as he
helps to train Nora so she can lead the army to war if it comes to that. But
something about him just isn’t right. That something is revealed when he forces
a mysterious drink down her throat. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s devilcraft. The substance that Hank Millar was using to
help fuel his Nephilim powers and that Patch and Nora thought died with him.
Apparently not. Hank entrusted the devilcraft to Dante and Blakely, and Blakely
has been working on weapon prototypes that will destroy the fallen angels. There’s
also the drink that basically supercharges the Nephilim’s powers. Dude. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, so honestly, the only reason I didn’t one hundred
percent love this book was because of Nora’s decisions <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> the ending. After a brief tussle with Blakely, he ends up
stabbing her with a devilcraft infused knife. The problem with the stabbing is
that there was so much devilcraft on that blade that Nora becomes addicted to
it. Reading about her trying to overpower the addiction was painful. I actually
liked Nora the last book and part of this one, until she became addicted to the
devilcraft. She should have known better. As for the ending…well, if you’re
into the whole ‘perfect ending’ thing, then you would have liked this ending.
But I didn’t. I love when books end perfectly, really, I do, but it ended too
neatly and easily. Seriously. Nora’s final plan backfires, all the fallen
angels are sent to hell, and Dante is after her head. How can things end well
after that? Well, apparently, Dante is the devilcraft prototypes, so with help
from Scott, Nora is able to kill him, which in turn kills the fallen angels who
pledged allegiance to him to get out of hell. Patch possessed Rixon to get out
of hell, and Nora and him go off into the sunset together, because as a final
gift from the archangels – Detective Basso, who knew? – Patch can now feel.
Wow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Nora has come a long way
from her character in the first book. She’s grown stronger, but she still makes
some bad decisions. The ending was great, but it was gift wrapped a little too
well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? After a year of sitting on my shelf, I
finally read it. Yay!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-36985751256599127372014-08-21T13:53:00.000-04:002014-08-21T13:53:36.513-04:00Hush, Hush Saga Book #3: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yxLsRbEABNw/U_Ywo-o1V8I/AAAAAAAAAmY/v67mhXkE4jQ/s1600/Silence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yxLsRbEABNw/U_Ywo-o1V8I/AAAAAAAAAmY/v67mhXkE4jQ/s1600/Silence.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nora Grey has been through it all in the last few years. Her
father was murdered. She had a stalker. She thought she was going insane. She
was almost killed a few times. She fell in love for the first time. She found
out that her father wasn’t really her father and that there are fallen angels
and Nephilim walking around in the real world. So what could possibly happen to
top all of that? Well…
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been three months since the end of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crescendo</i> and Nora wakes up in the cemetery having no idea how she
got there or what day it is. When the groundskeeper finds her, he tells her her
worst fear. It’s not April like she thought, but actually September. She’s been
missing for three months and she has no memory of the last five. She may not
remember anything, but she does get the feeling that something isn’t right with
her mom’s new boyfriend – Hank Millar. As she tries to unravel the mystery of
what happened to her, she meets old friends and new foes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I have to say that I liked this book a whole hell of a
lot more than I did the last one. Making Nora forget not only the three months
she was being held captive by Hank but also the two months previously that she
was with Patch was an evil but fantastic move. I also liked how he was still
part of her life, but went by his real name Jev instead of Patch. Was I ever
glad when Nora sort of kind of remembered him and what happened between the two
of them. The character of Scott, like I predicted, became a major player in
this book. Not only does he help jog Nora’s memory of what happened, but he
also helps her start to bring down Hank at the risk of his own life, since the
Black Hand was still after him. Vee, as usual, was her annoying self, believing
that she – and Nora’s mother – knew what was best for Nora. I was sort of able
to tolerate her character in the last two books because sometimes her attitude
and quips were funny, but in this book. Wow. I didn’t like her at all. She was
supposed to be Nora’s best friend and help her connect the dots, not lie to
her. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I’m still kind of confused
with the whole oath thing that Hank made Nora swear upon, but I’m sure that it
will resolve itself in the next book. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? What font do they use for the title?! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-67756792060240159252014-08-18T14:54:00.000-04:002014-08-18T14:54:02.075-04:00Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9twwgoT3rjQ/U_JLaIbz_mI/AAAAAAAAAmI/Mxii56tit40/s1600/LoveLetterstotheDead.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9twwgoT3rjQ/U_JLaIbz_mI/AAAAAAAAAmI/Mxii56tit40/s1600/LoveLetterstotheDead.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Losing someone is hard. Losing a family member is especially
hard. For Laurel, losing her sister was extremely hard because she was there
when her sister May died. Add in the fact that she’s not only starting high school,
but also a new school all together, and she has hit the extreme angst teenager
scale. Her first assignment in English class though, throws things over the
top. Write a letter to a dead person
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Understandably, Laurel has a little trouble with the assignment,
although you wouldn’t know it when she keeps writing letters to get her
feelings out. Through these letters, everything that has happened since even
before her sister’s death starts to come out, especially that she feels
responsible. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wanted to like this book. Seriously. It was written really
well. The characters were fantastic. The story line was just the right amount
of depressing and uplifting while still being a coming of age story. But…the
whole time I was reading it I had this feeling that I had read this kind of
story before. Person writing letters after a tragic event, trying to fit in
with new friends, and at a new school…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Perks of
Being a Wallflower</i>, just instead of having Charlie writing letters to some
unnamed person it was a girl writing letters to dead people. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. This book was good, I just
felt like it was too much a duplicate of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Perks of Being a Wallflower</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-54697361963989919792014-08-18T14:29:00.000-04:002014-08-18T14:29:11.643-04:00Now & Forever by Susane Colasanti
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eo8I6e15GQg/U_JFzF-IHkI/AAAAAAAAAl4/0ZIETlYhMRQ/s1600/Now%26Forever.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eo8I6e15GQg/U_JFzF-IHkI/AAAAAAAAAl4/0ZIETlYhMRQ/s1600/Now%26Forever.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like Sarah Dessen and Meg Cabot, I have a soft spot in my
heart for Susane Colasanti’s books. So when she announced that she was coming
out with a new book this year, I was so excited, especially when I read the
summary of the book. Sterling has the perfect boyfriend. Ethan is the lead
singer in a band whose about to hit it big and he only has eyes for her. But
sometimes fame can change a person, and Sterling has to decide if being a rock star’s
boyfriend is worth it.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, so like I said when I first heard about this book I
was really excited to read it. A girl dating a rock star that just got
discovered? Sounds fantastic and in some ways it was. But in other ways… Yikes.
Sterling is a very insecure character, and when she’s put under the microscope
by the media those insecurities are multiplied. I get where Sterling is coming
from, compared to those other girls and celebrities that are out there, how is
she supposed to compete? But on the other hand, Ethan has said many times how
she’s the only one for him, and yeah, he’s changed since the band was
discovered but he still loves her. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until he changes for the worse. Fame starts to get to his
head and it shows. He becomes more self-involved and I totally agreed with
Sterling when she realized that he was more about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">his</i> dreams then about hers. Like when she revealed to him her idea
about the cooking videos, he was so down on them, like how are these cooking
videos supposed to help my career? Self-obsessed much? Even in the beginning,
before he got signed, I didn’t really care for him. What was the harm of adding
someone else’s song to the mix? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Although I didn’t care for
Sterling and Ethan, it wasn’t too bad of a read. I liked the ending the best,
when she realizes that she’s better off without Ethan – granted it’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">after</i> she finds out that he cheated on
her – and she does her own thing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Colasanti is another one of those author’s
who if I had more bookshelf space I’d own everything. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-3874746312757225892014-08-14T19:01:00.000-04:002014-08-14T19:01:15.723-04:00Hush, Hush Saga Book #2: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FfZK-K50H-M/U-0_atxpytI/AAAAAAAAAj8/kezpxwUyCC8/s1600/Crescendo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FfZK-K50H-M/U-0_atxpytI/AAAAAAAAAj8/kezpxwUyCC8/s1600/Crescendo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently, Becca Fitzpatrick revealed on Twitter that
Crescendo was not her favorite book to write out of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hush, Hush Saga</i>, and I can tell. When this book first came out, I
read it in one day and was supremely confused and angered by the events that
transpired. How is it that a sequel to a book that I loved could turn in to
such…well, crap? Now, that I’ve read it again, I still don’t have an answer,
but I kind of understand things better than that first reading.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nora is used to her life being turned upside down. Her
father was murdered almost two years ago, she’s learned that she is descended
from a race called Nephilim, and that her lab partner from biology was a fallen
angel until he saved her life two months ago. Now, Patch is a guardian angel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">her</i> guardian angel and she couldn’t be
happier. But as the book begins, Nora isn’t on the path to normal just yet.
Feeling overwhelmed by her feelings for Patch, she declares her love for him
and he doesn’t say it back. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning in summer school she learns from Marcie
Miller – her arch nemesis for years – that Patch went to her house right
afterwards and stood watching. Nora asks Patch about it, but he doesn’t give
her an answer. Feeling hurt and betrayed she breaks up with him causing a rift.
Add in a new character named Scott with a dark past of his own, and the fact
that Nora is seeing her father around town and you’ve got one interesting
sequel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, like I said before when I first read this book I thought
it was a bunch of crap. Here was another second book of a series that breaks up
the main characters for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> stupid
reasons. True, I get that Nora didn’t want Patch to rebel on the archangels,
and that she was still kind of miffed about Patch not telling her why he was
hanging with Marcie – although I kind of had a feeling why he was – but still…
Nora is very quick to assume the worst of people and that’s kind of one of
things that I really hate about her. She knows that Patch is a guardian angel
now, and once he explains that the archangels are just looking for a reason to
cast him back to hell, shouldn’t she guess that the reason he’s hanging with
Marcie is because he’s protecting her now? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scott was an interesting character to throw into the mix. He
seemed like such a jerk at the beginning – kind of like Patch – but at the end
when it’s revealed what is really going on with him, I was kind of intrigued to
see him come back in the next book. And can we talk about Marcie’s dad actually
being Nora’s dad too?! What was Blythe thinking? And holy crap, holy crap! The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ending</i>! Just when you think there’s
going to be some much-anticipated Patch/Nora make up making out, Mr. Miller
shows up and confronts Nora about the death of Jules aka Chauncey. The end.
WHAT?!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. So the ending still kind of
confused me. Nora’s dad – Harrison – was told to marry Blythe and claim Nora as
his own child even though it was really Mr. Miller’s kid? And Mr. Miller is the
Black Hand, but he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">didn’t</i> kill
Harrison, that was actually Patch’s friend Rixon? And Rixon was after Nora
because not only does she have the blood of Chauncey in her veins but the blood
of Barnabas, who was Rixon’s blood oath host? Ouch. My brain hurts. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Gray scale cover art is gorgeous. I still
want to know what font they use for the title. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-71074481566593760392014-08-11T20:01:00.001-04:002014-08-11T20:01:55.417-04:00Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LlzLAgTdots/U-lZPcjMu-I/AAAAAAAAAjs/NjO3g7OFQ8s/s1600/HushHush.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LlzLAgTdots/U-lZPcjMu-I/AAAAAAAAAjs/NjO3g7OFQ8s/s1600/HushHush.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nora Grey has a normal life. She has a chatty best friend, a
mom who worries way too much, and she worries herself about getting into a good
college. But everything she knows is about to change when her biology teacher
decides to change the seating chart. No longer is she sitting next to her best
friend – Vee – she now has to sit next to the mysterious senior transfer who
seems to make it his mission to make her blush.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But things are starting to get really weird. On her way home
one night, she runs over a person who somehow is able to knock out her window
and try to go after her. When she drives to her friend’s house, all the damage
is gone. It looks like nothing happens. A few days later, she walks in on
someone rummaging through her things, when she calls the police, her room is
pristine. She thinks she’s finally going crazy, especially when Patch – the
mysterious senior transfer – keeps showing up everywhere she goes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hush, Hush</i> was one
of those books that I stumbled across at the bookstore a long time ago because
of intriguing cover art. Once I picked it up though I couldn’t put it down. The
same goes for the second read through I did. The story flows hard and fast, and
the character of Patch is as mysterious as Fitzpatrick makes him out to be on
the page. Along with Nora, you go through the motions of hating Patch, being embarrassed
by Patch, and slowly falling for him. When it’s revealed that he’s a fallen
angel sent to kill her, but couldn’t do it because he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">likes</i> her, I totally lost my shit. As for the school psychiatrist,
Mrs. Greene, I totally called it. She was acting a little bit too controlling
over Nora seeing Patch to just be a school administrator. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Even through the second read
through, I still got a little bit confused over some of the plot points in this
book, but I think I got the gist of them to understand what was going on. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? I got my copy for $4.99 at Borders before
it closed. One of the best deals for a hardcover. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-74642836905519128822014-08-11T19:55:00.001-04:002014-08-11T19:55:33.003-04:00The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c_faDcfhQCU/U-lXyXqpMyI/AAAAAAAAAjg/Fut229TgbtU/s1600/TheMoonandMore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c_faDcfhQCU/U-lXyXqpMyI/AAAAAAAAAjg/Fut229TgbtU/s1600/TheMoonandMore.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One year and two months after the release of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Moon and More</i>, I finally got around
to reading the latest from Sarah Dessen. I’m not sure if it was the build up of
anticipation, or knowing what I was expecting from a Sarah Dessen novel, but
for the first time I found myself not really caring for the novel, at all.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Emaline works at her family’s realty company. They rent out
houses to those families visiting Colby. It’s the summer before she takes off
for college, and after many pages of back story you find out why she isn’t
really thrilled. Her mother, Emily, met this guy in Colby the summer before her
senior year of high school. They were in love and promised to try and keep
their relationship together even though he didn’t live in Colby. She got
pregnant, and although he tried to stay in touch and support her, he lost
contact. The only thing he did was have his father send her checks every month.
But at ten, Emaline had to do a family tree project and wanted to know her true
roots and not her ‘dad’ who adopted her when she was three. This started a
chain reaction of content that mostly had to do with her studies. Her ‘father’
promised to help her with her college tuition if she got into a good school.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She did. She gets into Columbia, but due to unforeseen
circumstances, her father backs out of paying, so she goes to East U instead.
Her father doesn’t even attend her high school graduation and it isn’t until he
comes to town with her half-brother to sell his aunt’s house, that the story is
kind of revealed. Him and his wife Leah are separating. While this is going on
a documentary duo come into town to do a story on a local artist – Clyde from
the bike shop in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Along for the Ride</i> –
and she meets Theo. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I really wished that this book had a point. Emaline was an
interesting character but the people in her life were just so…I guess the word
would be annoying. Emaline’s mother, and stepsisters don’t grasp the concept of
personal space, especially Margo trying to make the company better all because
she has a degree. Snobbish. Emaline’s boyfriend Luke is very presumptuous and I
agree that he was a sex addict. Jeez. Theo is a go-getter, and I normally don’t
mind that kind of attitude but he was very snobby about it. I honestly wonder
what Emaline saw in him. The only true drama in this book was when Luke cheated
on her and when she finally confronts her father about what really happened
with the college tuition thing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. This book lacked Dessen’s
usual witty banter and intriguing characters. And while I was happy that
Emaline ended up without a romantic interest, I kind of wished it was for
another reason other than the boys she had her choice between weren’t total
idiots. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? I own a copy, but I kind of wished I had
rented it from the library first. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-88460146881400951252014-08-06T15:25:00.001-04:002014-08-06T23:08:29.760-04:00Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge<style>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vrRlogRO9N0/U-KA_mn5bPI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/nUYp1hA86GI/s1600/CruelBeauty.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vrRlogRO9N0/U-KA_mn5bPI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/nUYp1hA86GI/s1600/CruelBeauty.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Once upon a time, a
line of kings that did not allow the barbarians to invade ruled the land of
Arcadia. One day, it all changed. Demons took over the land and held it in its
grasp. The lord of these demons – The Gentle Lord – made deals with the people
of the land. One deal in particular involved a young couple that desperately
wanted to get pregnant, but couldn’t. The young man struck a deal with the
demon lord. His wife would become pregnant with twins, but one of the twins
must be given in exchange to the Gentle Lord as his bride when she reached the
age of seventeen. The man agreed and his wife became pregnant and gave birth to
twins. The first came out easy, but the second twin took the life of her
mother. So it was determined that the first twin would be given to the demon
lord…</i>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nyx has known her duty to the land of Arcadia her entire
life. She is to marry the Gentle Lord and find a way to destroy him and his
fellow demons hold on their land. She is to avenge her mother’s death. She’s
known and trained for this duty her entire life. But there is hate in her
heart. Hate for her father for liking her sister over her, hate for her sister
for killing her mother, and hate for her aunt for sleeping with her father.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Gentle Lord is different than what she has come to know.
He is still a demon and a lord of bargains, but he also has some dark secrets
of his own. On their wedding night, he gives two rules to his new bride; one,
the key he gives her opens certain rooms in his palace. Those are the only
rooms she is allowed to enter, but he cannot protect her from what’s inside.
Two, every night she will be given the chance to guess his real name. If she
fails to guess correctly, she will die. If she guesses right, she will free him
from his masters. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was really excited to read this book. When I got the email
from Goodreads telling me about it in February, I couldn’t wait to get my hands
on it. It sounded like a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beauty and the
Beast</i> retelling. But when I actually started reading it, it turned into
something completely different. It combined Greek gods with demons, and a
little bit of Rumpelstilltskin into the mix. It was a good mysterious fairy
tale. My only complaint was that the ending was confusing. She helps destroy
the Gentle Lord who actually turns out to be half of the lost prince? And then
time is restarted? What??</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Great story, I just wished
the ending had been more concise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? The cover art is amazing. I would love to
have this on my shelf.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-8046378379041377432014-08-05T13:19:00.001-04:002014-08-05T13:19:47.094-04:00The Body Finder Series Book #4: Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2SRK6p48EA/U-ER96RmNFI/AAAAAAAAAjA/I2cmUdh9A6A/s1600/DeadSilence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2SRK6p48EA/U-ER96RmNFI/AAAAAAAAAjA/I2cmUdh9A6A/s1600/DeadSilence.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A common theme in all four books of this series is the
secrets that Violet keeps. But it isn’t really until this book that she
realizes that she is keeping too many of them, and that her best friend in the
whole world – Chelsea – is starting to get annoyed with them. Violet realizes
it and doesn’t know what to do about it on top of everything else.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been a few months since Violet’s kidnapping and she’s
trying to deal with living with her own imprint. Her friends are worried about
her, but she doesn’t know how to be around them with this imprint. She’s taking
more of the sleeping pills to dull the echo. But it isn’t until her mother
cleans out the attic and finds a box of her grandmother’s old stuff that Violet
finds a way to deal with the imprint and that there is something going on with
her team. It turns out that the only time the echo/imprint goes away is when
the heart of the victim is taken out of the body. Rafe – because he still likes
Violet – digs up Caine and removes his heart so Violet can be at peace. And
then there’s the picture of the team her grandmother was on – The Circle of
Seven – that includes Dr. Lee, Rafe’s mom, and Krystal’s mom too. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the other three books, I really liked the interlude
chapters that dealt with the killer POVs for that book. In this book, I really
didn’t like it. The killer this time around has major, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">major</i> issues with family and drugs. It kind of made me sick. And
the prologue! That was just such a mean twist. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. This book was still really
good, but I still didn’t like the killer this time around. Also there were a
lot of unanswered questions for a final book of a series. What exactly happened
to the Circle of Seven? Who is in control of Violet’s current team? And even
though Violet ‘chose’ Jay, what about Rafe?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-598319453964167772014-08-05T13:14:00.000-04:002014-08-06T23:08:20.577-04:00To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han<style>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WETaWR9w-rw/U-EQtyiWwyI/AAAAAAAAAi4/ovZz917hOQg/s1600/ToAlltheBoysI%27veLovedBefore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WETaWR9w-rw/U-EQtyiWwyI/AAAAAAAAAi4/ovZz917hOQg/s1600/ToAlltheBoysI'veLovedBefore.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was growing up I always wanted a younger brother or
sister. After reading this book, I really want to know what I was thinking.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The concept is kind of old school, and I liked the idea of
it. Lara Jean is the middle sister and has never had a boyfriend. She’s had
crushes and after a while something happens to make her realize that her crush
on such a person is ridiculous. To find closure she writes letters and puts
them into her hatbox that her mother gave her. At the beginning of her junior
year, with her older sister Margot away in Scotland for college, she is
blindsides with not only having to take care of her younger sister and father,
but that somehow her letters have been mailed to the boys. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What follows is a chain reaction of three of the five boys
coming up to her with their letters and asking her what its all about. With all
of them it’s awkward. The boys were never supposed to get those letters. But it’s
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> awkward when one of the boys
is her sister’s ex-boyfriend. To avoid the awkwardness she kisses one of the
other boys, Peter, and enters into a fake relationship that changes everything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were some moments when this book was really annoying.
Lara Jean was really ignorant about a lot of things, and although I get where
she was coming from with the whole driving thing, she needed to get a grip.
Margot was very judgmental about her sister’s interaction with these boys.
Kitty was just cute. Peter was so egotistical, but he had his moments. And what
was going on with Josh? He’s Margot’s ex-boyfriend, why is he getting jealous
about Lara Jean and Peter? What business is it of his? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. I liked the quick read and
short chapters. Peter and Josh getting along with Lara Jean’s family was pretty
cool. But sometimes I just wanted to reach through the pages of the book and
shake her. The ending was also a problem. It didn’t really have a finished feel
to it. So I’m hoping there’s another book?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-42743436144633510622014-08-05T13:09:00.000-04:002014-08-05T13:09:27.208-04:00The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XboOHjIhp3w/U-EPfhltVQI/AAAAAAAAAiw/Bkbl-CNNM9I/s1600/TheConstantPrincess.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XboOHjIhp3w/U-EPfhltVQI/AAAAAAAAAiw/Bkbl-CNNM9I/s1600/TheConstantPrincess.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I have stated in my reviews for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Boleyn King</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Boleyn Deceit</i>, anything that has to do with the Tudor court and Elizabethan
England I find completely fascinating. Philippa Gregory is actually the main reason
for this, six years ago I picked up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Other Boleyn Girl</i> and I’ve been obsessed ever since.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Constant Princess</i>
is the sort of prequel to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Other
Boleyn Girl</i>. The story follows that of Princess Catalina of Spain who is to
become Queen Katherine of England. It follows her as she falls in love with her
first husband Arthur – Henry’s brother – and is thrown for a ride when he dies
and makes her promise that no matter what she <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i> become Queen of England, even if that means telling the world
a lie. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found this book fascinating. I always felt bad for
Katherine while I was reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TOBG</i>.
How sad is it to be married to the King of England, and not only does he sleep
around with other women, but he has the gall to ask her to give up her crown so
he can crown one of his other mistresses? Terrible. This book made me feel even
worse for her. She goes through so much! First, trying to fall in love with her
first husband, and then when she finally does he makes her promise on his
deathbed that she will marry his younger brother. Then there’s trying to
persuade the King that she’s the perfect fit for the only heir now to the
throne, and it turns out the King has been lusting after her this whole time.
EW. Then, when she spurns the King, he makes her suffer by having her wait in
poverty for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">six</i> years until his
demise. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally she does get her way and marries Henry, but even
that has its problems. When she is with child and goes in for her isolation,
Henry strays. What did people see in this guy, honestly? If he strays once,
he’s going to keep on straying, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">especially</i>
if you don’t give him what he wants. I think what was amazing to me was the
fact that Katherine <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did</i> actually bare
Henry a son, even if he did die ten days after his birth. Who knew?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. A great insight on to how
Queen Katherine came to be and what she went through to get her crown. The only
thing that I didn’t like was the pages after the death of their son. There
really wasn’t a point to the story and considering the jump to when she is
called to court because of Anne Boleyn, it would have made more sense to end it
with the death of their son. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-34547488539016762302014-07-30T13:25:00.000-04:002014-08-06T23:08:09.903-04:00What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen<style>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5WLm0qXXWqo/U9kqWQdpROI/AAAAAAAAAig/CeYib4ezor8/s1600/WhatHappenedtoGoodbye.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5WLm0qXXWqo/U9kqWQdpROI/AAAAAAAAAig/CeYib4ezor8/s1600/WhatHappenedtoGoodbye.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have you ever read a book for the first time and didn’t like
it? Then you read a second time, and you liked it a little? And then you read
it for a third time and realized that the book was really good? That was my
experience with <i>What Happened to Goodbye</i>.
When the book first came out in 2011, I was really excited for it, but when I
read it, I found that it was different than the previous Dessen novels. I read
it again in 2012, and liked it a little bit more than the first reading, but it
wasn’t until a few days ago that I realized that this book, although different
than Dessen’s previous work, was pretty good.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
McLean Sweet has moved again. For the fourth time in two
years, she’s starting at a new school in a new town, all because of her
father’s job. He’s a consultant for struggling restaurants. He goes in, figures
out what’s wrong, and then tries to help turn the place around, if he can’t
then the place gets sold. Her father didn’t used to have this job, he used to
run his own restaurant with the help of McLean’s mother, but after a tabloid
worthy affair and divorce, McLean isn’t really on good speaking terms with her
mother these days. She blames her for ripping their perfect family apart. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ugly divorce is also the reason that McLean creates new
personalities with each new town she moves to. A new town, a new clean slate.
She’s been Elizabeth, Beth, Lizbet, and in this town she wants to be just Liz.
But not everything goes according to plan. In this town, she’s known by her
real name, and she isn’t a specific type of person. She just is. She meets some
interesting kids – Tracey, Leo, Riley, Ellis, Heather, and Dave – who make her
come out of her usual predetermined shell. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like I said, this book was really good. I could kind of
relate to McLean’s different personalities and I understood where she was
coming from. If you could, wouldn’t you reinvent yourself? I think, when I
first read this book, the thing I didn’t like was that Dave and McLean didn’t
really have a relationship until the last ten pages or so, but now, I kind of
like that that happened. And, holy crap! Was the Jason in this book the same
Jason from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Truth About Forever</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Along for the Ride</i>? If so, wow,
did he ever change!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Compared to previous books,
the climax and McLean’s history were tame and not as intense. The ending was
also very different, and McLean’s mom was a piece of work until the last twenty
pages.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? It’s been on my shelf for years, why isn’t
it on yours?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-18232097336987290052014-07-29T15:02:00.000-04:002014-08-02T01:39:42.747-04:00Uninvited by Sophie Jordan<style>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4K04BwRq0C8/U9fvccdJhFI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/TlJmKE1YoUE/s1600/Uninvited.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4K04BwRq0C8/U9fvccdJhFI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/TlJmKE1YoUE/s1600/Uninvited.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s the year 2021 and crime is on the rise in the United
States. The government and scientists have determined that there are people out
there with a gene called HTC or the ‘murder’ gene. People have to be tested and
if they test positive for the gene their whole life changes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Davy is the perfect high school senior. A music protégée at
the age of three, she has already been accepted into Julliard for the following
year. She has the perfect boyfriend and best friend. She lives the perfect
life. That is until she comes home from school one day and is told that she is
a carrier. In a blink of an eye her whole life changes. Her acceptance to
Julliard? Gone. Her perfect boyfriend? Turns into an asshole. Her perfect best
friend? Turns on her. And she now has to go to school in a cage with the other
carriers. This is where she meets Sean, a carrier, who isn’t who he appears to
be. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So there were moments in this book that really pissed me
off. How is that a girl like Davy is treated like a social pariah just because
she has a gene that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">might</i> make her a
murderer? At first, I really liked her boyfriend for reacting so calmly about
this, but when they go to that party later on and he basically treats her like
she should be thankful that he’s even still with her, I wanted to slap the crap
out of him. Did the US government think that maybe the reason people ‘snap’
when they get the gene is because of how they’re treated once it’s out there?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for the camp scene where Davy is forced to kill someone,
I really wanted to scream. It’s amazing how they label her a potential killer
and then actually turn her into one. Gah.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Davy’s situation was really
frustrating and I couldn’t wait to be done with this book. I liked the
characters of Gil and Sean, and I’m curious to see what happens to everyone
now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-9379663346068856392014-07-29T14:57:00.000-04:002014-08-06T23:07:59.813-04:00The Body Finder Series Book #3: The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting<style>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EYkKM6QPQfE/U9ft3v4JhlI/AAAAAAAAAiE/Eoiq12qkOnc/s1600/TheLastEcho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EYkKM6QPQfE/U9ft3v4JhlI/AAAAAAAAAiE/Eoiq12qkOnc/s1600/TheLastEcho.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A question for all the authors out there: when you’re
writing a book with a female narrator or main character, and you introduce
several guy characters into her story, do you automatically think, <i>hm, there should be a love triangle?</i> Or
does that plot point come up as you go along? I feel like I need to ask this
question, because in about every other supernatural/paranormal book I read,
there always seems to be a love triangle between the main character and the
guys she knows. <i>The Last Echo</i> was no
exception to that rule, which I was really disappointed. Not only did this
series go from having the best guy friend being the main character’s boyfriend,
but now we have a love triangle too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Violet is readjusting to her life again. This time she has
to get used to being on a team of people who know that she’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">different</i>. A whole bunch of new
characters get introduced – Gemma, Krystal, Sam, etc. – while Sara and Rafe are
kept around. The team that Violet is on is investigating a new case. College
girls are turning up dead. A new serial killer – called the collector – is on
the loose. And unfortunately for Violet, he seems to have taken a new interest
in her, even though she isn’t the type of girl he goes for. What happens
changes the course of Violet’s life forever.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I’ll admit this book was just as good as the other two.
The new team for Violet are really interesting people. The whole love triangle
thing aside, I kind of liked the character of Rafe too. He’s dark and
mysterious, and when his real story actually comes out you kind of feel sorry
for the guy. And the final fifty pages when Violet finally has to stand up to
the killer alone…just wow. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will admit I’m still kind of curious about whom the team
actually works for if not the FBI, and why they are so adamant on keeping
Violet on board. Plus, the whole thing with the sleeping pills? I think that’s
going to have some major impact in the next book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. I still really love the
interlude chapters that come from the killer’s POV. They make for some
interesting reads. I just wish Jay and Violet’s other friends had made more of
an appearance in this one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-73190308187667278202014-07-24T13:46:00.000-04:002014-08-02T01:41:18.458-04:00Winds of Salem: A Witches of East End Novel by Melissa de la Cruz<style>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lIQSgLWm8UM/U9FGP468j4I/AAAAAAAAAhw/PXnHlygxSOs/s1600/WindsofSalem.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lIQSgLWm8UM/U9FGP468j4I/AAAAAAAAAhw/PXnHlygxSOs/s1600/WindsofSalem.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So when we last left the witches of East End, Freya was
being dragged back to the 1600s, Ingrid was finally coming to terms with her
relationship with Matt, Joanna was finally accepting Norman back into her life,
Freddie was getting married, and Killian was being dragged off to Limbo for
destroying the bridge.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Winds of Salem</i>
picks up a month after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Serpent’s Kiss</i>
left off. Freya is stuck in Salem during the Salem witch trials with no memory
of who she really is. Ingrid, Joanna and Norman are trying to find a way back
to her, but the time passages are closed and the family is losing their powers
because Loki poisoned the Tree of Life. Freddie is married now to Gert and is
taking care of the pixies while they try and look for the missing trident. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Things aren’t going so well though - a nice tie in with the
final book of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blue Bloods</i> series –
and Joanna and Norman learn that if Freya dies while stuck in the 1600s, she’s
going to stay dead, unless magic can be restored. Ingrid’s relationship with
Matt is on the ropes because she’s pushing him away trying to find her sister.
Gert leaves Freddie and the pixies take off to find the trident. And Freya is
in danger because of her affections for two familiar brothers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, so I liked this book a whole hell of a lot better than
the last one, but…this book drove me insane! Ingrid’s insecurity with Matt, his
daughter, and his ex-girlfriend were so annoying! Yes, Matt’s ex was good
looking and obviously had some sort of relationship with Matt, but c’mon,
Ingrid! You’re a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">witch</i> who’s been
around for hundreds of years, and he loves you! Get over it already…although at
the end she sort of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">does</i> get over it,
so I can somewhat forgive her, but yikes. Maybe this was the reason she was a
spinster for so long. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Freddie comes face-to-face with the destroyer of the
bridge, I kind of saw it coming, considering certain characters that have made
appearances in this series, it was about time this person showed up. And wow,
the reason for the destruction of the bridge was crazy. All is fair in love and
war, eh?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Better than the last one,
but characters were annoying with their insecurities and the open ended ending,
was kind of evil. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-39472633260470852172014-07-22T13:05:00.001-04:002014-08-06T23:07:49.769-04:00Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman<style>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qrKkte2abbM/U86Zr9LlpDI/AAAAAAAAAhg/vT9Vy5hLjnU/s1600/PrisonerofNightandFog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qrKkte2abbM/U86Zr9LlpDI/AAAAAAAAAhg/vT9Vy5hLjnU/s1600/PrisonerofNightandFog.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the many things that I didn’t like about my education
was the fact that even though I took a lot of history classes, we never really
covered World War II. Every year in those history classes we talk forever about
World War I, but we would briefly go over WWII before going on to the Vietnam War.
So, I was pretty much on my own when it came to finding out facts about the
war.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prisoner of Night and
Fog</i> is mostly a work of fiction. The main character – Gretchen Müller – and
her family are fictional but most of the other characters actually existed.
Gretchen is a teenaged girl whose father was a close friend of Adolf Hitler’s.
So close, in fact, that he sacrificed his body to protect him a few years previously.
Because of his sacrifice Hitler has always held the Müller family in high
esteem. However, it isn’t until one night when her brother Reinhard goes after
a Jew on the street that Gretchen starts to question what her ‘Uncle Dolf’ has
been telling her about the Jews, and she meets a mysterious young man who calls
her different than the others. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This mysterious man is Daniel Cohen a reporter for the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Munich Post</i> and who has been
investigating Hitler and his closest allies. He seems to know the truth about
what actually happened to Gretchen’s father that night, and it isn’t what she’s
been told. Someone in the National Socialist party killed Gretchen’s father not
by the state police bullets like everyone thought. The question is, who did it
and why? Gretchen is hell bent on finding out even if that means alienating her
family and her Uncle Dolf. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is another book that was so disgusting (in parts) but
it was written so well you barely even notice it. You get an inner look at the
world of Adolf Hitler and his ‘niece’ as she tries to undo the brainwash that
he has done on her over the years. Gretchen’s brother was a piece of work and I
am not ashamed to say that I cheered when he died at the end of the book. When
you find out that Eva – Gretchen’s best friend – has been ‘dating’ Hitler for
the last two years, I really felt like being sick, and that was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">after</i> he tried making the moves on
Gretchen. Ick. I like the way that this book set up for a potential sequel, but
even if Blankman <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doesn’t</i> write it, it
kind of had a clean ending. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. I’m usually really wary of
WWII books, sometimes they are so haunting that I have nightmares, but this one
was just the perfect blend of seriousness and romance. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-17725885080934730582014-07-21T13:35:00.000-04:002014-08-02T01:42:25.357-04:00The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)<style>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_8d37Fqw6E/U81PFCIDydI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/thzaDtcwwe4/s1600/TheCuckoosCalling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_8d37Fqw6E/U81PFCIDydI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/thzaDtcwwe4/s1600/TheCuckoosCalling.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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The problem with reading a book by an author using a
pseudonym whose identity you already know is comparing the work you’re reading
with their previous works. There were a lot of times while reading <i>The Cuckoo’s Calling</i> that I had to
remind myself that this wasn’t going to be the next <i>Harry Potter</i> although they were written by the same author. I don’t
usually read mysteries though and I kind of remembered why as I read this book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cuckoo’s Calling</i>
is about a private detective named Cormoran Strike – a war vet, the son of a
famous celebrity, and a guy who’s down on his luck – as he tries to solve the
case of the potential murder of the famous model Lula Landry. The only problem
is, this model died three months ago, but it wasn’t a murder, it was a suicide,
or so the police and coroner concluded in their investigation. But Lula’s
brother, John, doesn’t think so. He thinks she was murdered, and comes to
Strike for help. Strike doesn’t want to take the case, because the police have
already deemed it a suicide, but his private detective business is in financial
trouble, and John is willing to pay more than double the usual fee. So against
his better judgment he takes the case. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What follows is countless pages of interviews of Lula’s old
friends, coworkers, and family members. This girl was very troubled. Her rise
to fame threw her into the spotlight too quickly, and she was paranoid about
who she could trust. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t usually read mysteries because I don’t have the
patience for them. I get more captivated by the story then I do the actual
clues, and it usually isn’t until the killer is revealed that I start to
realize the clues that were dropped along the way. The same goes for this book,
I had suspected that the killer was someone else, and when it was revealed who
it actually was, I was like “whoa, what?” </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I liked this book.
Galbraith/Rowling still has her usual flair for setting the scene so you feel
like you’re actually there, and the dialogue was quick and snappy. Some
sections of this book were a little dry though, and I wished there could have
been more emphasis on the character of Robin (Strike’s secretary). </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? Support your local library!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-73048358724811617042014-07-16T17:42:00.001-04:002014-08-06T23:07:39.682-04:00Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen<style>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zvtq_r03BAM/U8bxnogOyMI/AAAAAAAAAg8/NIcXCsDbpcg/s1600/AlongfortheRide.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zvtq_r03BAM/U8bxnogOyMI/AAAAAAAAAg8/NIcXCsDbpcg/s1600/AlongfortheRide.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This time around, Dessen takes her readers back to Colby,
the beach town that was focused on in <i>Keeping
the Moon</i>, with her main character Auden. Auden is very reminiscent of the
character Macy in that she tries to be perfect academically but instead of
being perfect for a boyfriend – although Jason does make an appearance in this
book – it’s for her academically minded parents. Her mom and dad divorced a few
years back and because of it, Auden can’t really sleep anymore. She stays up
all night focusing on her studies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She’s not much of a social bird, so when she gets a gift
from her Europe travelling brother – Hollis – she wonders if maybe she’s doing
her summer before she goes to college wrong. With this in mind, she decides to
visit her father, stepmother, and new stepsister. Her arrival is perfect
because Heidi – her stepmother – is having a difficult time with her new
stepsister, Thisbe. Auden, despite everything her mother has told her, helps
her out with the baby and then with her business – Clementine’s – books. During
her first night in Colby she has a brief fling with a guy named Jack who turns
out to be one of her new co-workers boyfriend. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Feeling like she’s already making such a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">great</i> start with these people, she goes
back to her old ways of staying up late and studying. But in Colby there’s no 24-hour
diner where she can sit and drink coffee. That is until she meets Eli, a local
in Colby who has a dark past of his own. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some people find this book repetitive, and I really want to
ask why? Other than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Keeping the Moon</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That Summer, </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This Lullaby</i> not all of Dessen’s books take place during the
summer. This book does too, and you get to check in with Isabel and Morgan, and
Auden really grows while she’s in this town. The only reason I don’t like this
book is because her father is a writer who’s working on his next book, and
every time those scenes were mentioned I said to myself – “I should be writing
too.” I get where some people are coming from with the character of Eli,
although he has a dark past with the accident, his character isn’t really that
explored. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. I loved Auden’s character
development throughout this book. I loved the character of Eli, and the
characters of Maggie, Adam, Esther, and everyone else that Auden became friends
with while in Colby. They’re the kind of people you want to be friends with in
high school. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? I bought mine used, and finally got around
to reading it. Wohoo, another book read!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739982592911155780.post-35212948843307516752014-07-14T14:11:00.001-04:002014-08-02T01:43:19.800-04:00The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith<style>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f7Rrwti10JM/U8QdIXO-hpI/AAAAAAAAAgs/MoYx-V78Ivw/s1600/TheGeographyofYouandMe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f7Rrwti10JM/U8QdIXO-hpI/AAAAAAAAAgs/MoYx-V78Ivw/s1600/TheGeographyofYouandMe.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in August 2003, there was a massive blackout that
covered most of the east coast and Canada. People were without power for almost
two days. I was in a Mexican restaurant when it happened. Other people weren’t
so lucky…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Geography of You
and Me</i> takes place, at the beginning, in New York during a power failure
much like the one back in 2003. The two main characters, Lucy and Owen, are
stuck in their apartment building’s elevator when the power goes out. They’ve
never really met, Owen has just moved in with his father who took over as the
building’s super. Since they’re stuck together they begin to talk, even when
the building’s doorman and maintenance guy get them out, they continue to talk.
What else is there to do in a blackout? Especially with Owen’s dad in Coney
Island and Lucy’s parents are over in Paris. In that brief twelve-hour period,
they develop a connection, which is great because they live in the same
building…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or not. After the power comes back, Lucy’s parents send her
a plane ticket to come visit them in London where they have some surprising
news. Her father is up for a job that would require the family to move back to
England. Owen’s dad gets fired from the apartment building because of his
absence during the power failure and a plumbing issue that was mostly his
fault, so they decide to go on the road. The two maintain their relationship
with postcards and e-mails, and eventually they do meet up. But things don’t go
exactly as planned.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So this wasn’t my first novel by Jennifer E. Smith. Two
summers ago I tried reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight</i> and I didn’t
really care for it – not that I read that many pages to begin with – and school
was starting up so I returned it. Last summer I read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is What Happy Looks Like</i> and fell in love. It was a really
good book and when I heard about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Geography of You and Me</i> I couldn’t wait to read it. This book didn’t
disappoint. Usually I’m not a fan of the switching of POVs between chapters,
but with this book it just worked. I loved all the traveling that Lucy and Owen
did, and I loved the postcard idea. The only thing I didn’t really like was the
ending. Everything just came together a little bit too easily. I wouldn’t mind
a sequel to see how Lucy and Owen are handling the long distance thing, maybe
more postcards?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Loved the characters and the
plot. Especially loved the flow of the story. I practically read the whole book
in one day. Thanks to this book I’m probably going to give <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight</i>
another try. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookshelf worthy? If only my shelves were bigger. The book
design is just amazing.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04476093646781133437noreply@blogger.com0